Volunteers awarded for preventing light pollution

Representatives of the groups involved in Dark Skies Herefordshire project

Volunteers who work to maintain Herefordshire's dark skies - helping wildlife and making for better stargazing - have been honoured with an award.

Herefordshire is one of England's least densely populated counties and has relatively low light pollution at night.

But Dark Skies Herefordshire aims to continue improving on this, and has now been recognised for its efforts.

Members of the group have been awarded the DarkSky International Bob Gent Community Leadership Award.

The team, which is backed by countryside charity Herefordshire CPRE, uses citizen science to address light pollution, something described by judges as "truly exemplary".

Founded by former county councillor Yolande Watson, Dark Skies Herefordshire works with county bodies Visit Herefordshire, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and the Wye Adapt to Climate Change Project to protect and promote Herefordshire’s dark skies and to raise awareness of the light pollution problem.

Dark skies with little air pollution makes for better star gazing

Artificial nighttime lighting can “interfere with the natural nighttime patterns of humans and wildlife”, Herefordshire CPRE said, with nocturnal insects particularly affected.

Herefordshire Astronomical Society, a partner in the project, holds regular meetings in Hereford’s Kindle Centre, while Fownhope’s recreation field is one of its regular observation sites.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.